Monday, June 30, 2014

KUCHING: The Human Resources Ministry is still in talks with the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) regarding its request to raise the minimum wage for workers to RM1,200 per month from RM800 in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan and RM900 in Peninsular Malaysia.

Its minister said that the application for a minimum wage of RM1,200 per month was made by MTUC during the national level Labour Day celebration recently.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s downgrade in the US State Department Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 2014 does not reflect the Government’s commitment to combat the crime, the Home Ministry said in a statement.

It also pointed out that Malaysia had been on the TIP tier 2 watch list for the last four years and had fallen automatically to tier 3.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The right to strike is an essential element of freedom of association and collective bargaining. Global unions are determined to defend this fundamental right around the world against attacks from employers and governments.

Earlier in June, the employers’ group continued its attack against the right to strike at the annual conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. After the employers demanded a disclaimer outruling the right to strike, the Committee on Applications remained without approved conclusions on 19 important cases.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Back at work: Thanks to Socso, Haffiz now embraces his new lease on life as a management assistant.

PETALING JAYA: Kaliyani Krish­nan, 49, received a series of hard knocks from life.

Six years after her husband died in a road accident, she was diagnosed with advanced renal failure. With three children, Kaliyani had no choice but to continue to work as an assistant nurse despite dizziness, nausea, swollen limbs and fatigue.

Malaysia has become among the worst offenders in trafficking of humans, the US State Department said in its annual human trafficking report released on Friday.

Malaysia was downgraded to tier 3 as a destination for forced labourers and sex workers who are among the two million undocumented foreign workers in Malaysia.

Workers are attracted by the country's booming economy, only to find themselves in debt bondage and obligations to contractors who place them in jobs.

"A significant number of young foreign women are recruited ostensibly for legal work in Malaysian restaurants, hotels, and beauty salons, but are subsequently coerced into the commercial sex trade," the State Department report said.

MALACCA: The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has proposed that the minimum wage for public and private sector employees be raised to at least RM1,200 per month.

MTUC president Khalid Atan said the present minimum wage of RM900 for workers in Peninsular Malaysia and RM800 for those in Sabah and Sarawak was too low, and no longer practical because of the rising cost of living.

At a press conference at Wisma MTUC, its secretary-general N. Gopal Kishnam said the PAC deputy chairman was "barking up the wrong tree" and that it looked like Tan wanted to defend MAS by going after the unions.